At twenty-two, Vivien is already a homeowner—albeit of the tiniest of tiny houses, a whopping 64 square footer called “Shrimpfork.” It’s the perfectly portable home from which to run Organization Oracle, Vivien’s new business as a personal organizer. In fact, she’ll be toting Shrimpfork to her upcoming client’s home near Taos, New Mexico.

Seventy-year-old Priscilla has a colorful past, a rambunctious boxer named Clay—and a home crammed with treasures. . . . Priscilla also has a love for the TV program “This Old Thing?” Her twenty-five-year-old neighbor, Marco, is happy to watch it with her—while watching over her. When Vivien arrives, it’s clear she and Marco are suspicious of each other’s intentions. But Priscilla’s determination to get her most cherished possession appraised on “This Old Thing?” soon has all of them grudgingly working together. Vivien and Marco find themselves in cahoots, Priscilla discovers the wider world, Clay digs up trouble—and everyone learns that sometimes the greatest treasures are valued for their flaws . . .

Praise for Celia Bonaduce and her novels

“A bingeworthy triology about smart, quirky women who feel like friends. In Much Ado About Mother she shows us just how strong (and funny) the
mother-daughter bond can be. Loved it!”
—Clare O'Donahue, author of The Kate Conway Mysteries

“Celia Bonaduce writes well rounded, real life characters straight from the heart. I loved this book!” —Phyliss Miranda, New York Times bestselling author on A Comedy of Erinn

“The Merchant of Venice Beach has a fresh, heartwarming voice that will keep readers smiling as they dance through this charming story by Celia Bonaduce.”
—Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author

About Celia Bonaduce:

Celia Bonaduce, author of The Venice Beach Romances and the Welcome to Fat Chance, Texas series, has always had a love affair with houses. Her credits as a television field producer include such house-heavy hits as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; HGTV’s House Hunters and Tiny House Hunters. She lives in Santa Monica, CA, with her husband and dreams of one day traveling with him in their own tiny house. You can contact Celia at www.celiabonaduce.com.

Author Interview

What advice would you give someone who wants to be a published author?
Rejection can’t hurt you, so put yourself out there! When I was submitting my work to agents and received a rejection letter, I realized my life was exactly the same as it was before I opened my email (or mailbox), but the possibility the answer could be “yes”—and everything would change for the better—kept me going.

Do you think a writer needs to have the entire story plotted out before he or she starts writing?
I was raised by two professional TV writers who had very different attitudes about this. My father used to say you must have the story completely outlined – to the point that all you had to add was dialogue (and God forbid, a character would take the story someplace new). My mother would have a general idea, start typing and see where the story went. I started out like my father, but I felt constrained. I am inching towards my mother’s approach, but I don’t think I will ever feel comfortable attempting a story without a beginning, middle and end. I also love plot twists, and that’s hard to do if you just throw yourself into a story. My characters all attempt to run off with the storyline; they win some, they lose some.

What is your favorite part of writing?
I get caught up in research. In The Wolf Sisters Books, the physical center of the novels is a tea shop in Venice, California. I found myself spending hours researching the history of tea. It may be a diversionary tactic, but easier to justify that hours spent on social media.

Do you write and then edit, or edit as you go?
One of my best friends does Ashtanga yoga, where you do a series of different poses…adding poses as you progress, but doing the same order every day. That’s my model for writing. I start at page one every day and just start reading through it, making small changes as I go and then continue to progress.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
Ideas start piling up in my head; I have written and audio notes all over the place. I finally feel as if my head is going to explode if I don’t sit down and start working. I don’t want my head to explode since I just got new carpet.